Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples. During the two-step process, the sugars in the fruit chemically change into alcohol. Through a second fermentation period, the alcohol becomes vinegar. Acetic acid, a very acidic substance, is the condiment’s main component. Scientific evidence that acetic acid impairs cell respiration exists side by side with unsupported claims that the opposite is true about apple cider vinegar.
The Vinegar in Diet
Apple cider vinegar has been promoted as a dietary aid to reduce weight and for other health conditions. Concerning weight loss, Katherine Zeratsky, a registered and licensed dietitian, says on MayoClinic.com that there is not enough scientific proof that the vinegar burns fat and suppresses appetite. The author of The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life, Deborah A. Klein, also cautiously writes, “Vinegar appears to help lower blood glucose.” Derived from apples, the liquid condiment has vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to you.
About Cell Respiration
Cellular respiration occurs when enzymes aided by oxygen break glucose down into energy to power your cells.
The Vinegar and Cell Respiration
According to Michael J. Keller and Curtis Gilliam of the University of Maryland Biological Sciences Program, research into the cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows that acetic acid inhibits cellular respiration, killing the cells.
Considerations
The evidence from the University of Maryland does not provide enough information to brand apple cider vinegar a cell killer. Clearly, this is a case where more studies looking at the issue from different perspectives are needed before a firm conclusion is reached. If the vinegar kills cells, it could be investigated against cancerous tumors, for example. However, scientists would also have to look at the harm it did to healthy cells. In addition, human clinical trials are necessary to show whether apple cider vinegar inside a person's body reacts in the same manner as when applied to cells in a Petrie dish. Also, those who claim that apple cider vinegar aids cellular respiration need to come forward with their scientific evidence.
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